#and we'll sail the world and see its wonders

[septembersghost]

it's just that "i was half-convinced i'd waken, satisfied enough to dream you" is such a delicate declaration, yet so ardent. if perhaps you aren't real, if you are something my own mind has concocted, that's enough. (come back to me, even as a shadow, even as a dream.) the mere gossamer thread of fantasy would be enough to fill my heart, would be real enough if you don't exist in this waking world, i'll bring you into it, i'll find you in a dream. "happily, i was mistaken," and have never been so glad to be wrong. you do exist, some miracle of fate led me to that window, and as long as you are real, there is hope to hold onto. that love could be realized too. anthony is the only person in the story who still believes in anything, and it's love. my heart has followed a winding path, and that you exist is enough to persist. in the cracks of light, i dreamed of you. it was real enough to get me through. 'til i'm with you, then i'm with you there.

[grand-theft-carbohydrates]

-can a boy who hops really fall in love with a girl who flies?-

"Watch me, Swallow!" cried the frog, "this'll be the one, I just know it!" 

The frog hurled himself out of the water with every ounce of all his might, and went sailing through the air. His wet little body landed with a splat against the lichen-covered side of the old well. Surface tension kept him stuck there for a brief moment before gravity re-exerted its influence and he slid down the stone wall like a blob of snot, tumbling back into the water with a gentle plop. 

The swallow quickly hopped over to the rim of the well and peered over the edge. She sat there motionlessly, her beady eyes fixed on the dark, rippling water from where the frog vanished, counting the seconds. She did not look away until a sleek, green head broke through the surface at last. 

"I made it halfway up, didn't I?" Frog asked proudly. 

"I don't see what you're so happy about," Swallow sniffed, making a show of preening her glossy wings, "you're still nowhere near the top." 

"Yeah, but last month I could only make it a quarter of the way up, and last week I was almost at the half-way mark," said Frog, not at all dampened by Swallow's grim dose of reality. "I'm making more progress every day. If I work hard enough, I'll be able to jump out of here soon." 

"Hm," the swallow gave a non-committal chirp. She had soared across continents and had seen frogs of every shape and size. None of them could make it out of a well so steep and high, and this one was fast approaching the limits of his nature. He would make it to the half-way mark, and rise no more. The old well that had harboured him as a tadpole would also be his grave, and that was the cold, hard truth. The kindest thing for her to do would be to kill Frog's stupid dream before it grew and festered, like removing a maggot from an open wound; one sharp twist, and it would be over. It would sting and bleed, he might even hate her for it, but eventually the injury would heal over cleanly. He would make peace with his position in life. She would take to the skies once more. It would be the healthy thing for everyone. 

But when the frog asked, again and again, "Will you watch me?" the swallow always kept her doubts to herself and answered, "Yes." 

He kept wasting his strength on these fruitless leaps, burning through what meagre prey that fell into his well. She kept putting herself in harm's way by watching him. Perched on the edge of this stone rim, she was vulnerable to attacks, to foxes slinking along the ground and hawks patrolling the sky. Her pretty, scissor-shaped tail still bore the marks of a particularly harrowing close call. This could only end badly for both of them; Frog might have been ignorant to the world beyond his stone circle, but she ought to know better. 

"It helps to have a goal," the frog panted. "After I jump out, I'm going to marry you! We'll travel the world together, and you can show me all the wonderful things you talked about." 

"Marry me?" The swallow stopped mid-preen and stared down at him, as if the frog had suddenly spouted a second head. 

"Yeah! I want to be your husband! I've been making a list on where we'd go after the wedding. First we'll visit your family-in-the-barn, then we'll go to the city and say hi to your cousins-in-the-rafters. I don't know where my folks are, cause I was hatched in this well so we'll skip that part. After that, we'll go to the Western Sea to see the Dragon King--" 

"I can't swim, stupid," The swallow pointed out with a derisive laugh. The whole thing was so outlandish she might as well play along. Poke holes in this fantasy until he dropped the subject.

"I know that!" said the frog, who had in fact forgotten, "...you can wait on the beach, I'll pop down and ask him to come out." 

"And if his royal highness says no?" 

"Then he's a prick who's not worth seeing," the frog said hotly, offended by the mere thought of such a thing. Swallow was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on, with her black, iridescent wings that shone like a rainbow, and bright red crown which shamed the sunset. Anyone who refused to see her had to be blind and stupid and was not worth the time of day. The two-leggers who used to visit his well and scoop up water liked to talk about wondrous creatures called "fairies" who lived up in Heaven. When Swallow flew down the first time and sang her song, Frog's heart was beating so fast he thought it would burst right out of his chest. He was dead certain a real fairy couldn't possibly compare to her. "If the Dragon King proves to be a royal prick, I'll steal his pearl and bring it back for you. We'll be gone before he even realises it's missing!" 

"You're going to bring calamity down on tianxia if you do that." 

"Who gives a shit about tianxia?" answered the frog, "I only care about making you happy." 

At these words, the swallow leaped up and hopped rapidly around the rim several times, as she sometimes did when the rocks were hot. This confused the frog, because the day was overcast and the rocks could not have been hot--he was very attentive to these matters, being an amphibian who was vulnerable to drying out. The swallow did not speak, and the frog was afraid he'd upset her, so he decided to give her some space and practice his jumps, hoping to impress her this time. Unfortunately, he was tired and his belly was empty, so they weren't anywhere near as awesome as the first one. He made up his mind to wake up extra early tomorrow morning and have a big breakfast of gnats. Then he can train longer while it was still light.

"Well, will you do it?" the frog asked, floating gently to the surface after his final attempt of the day. "Aiyouyou, my legs are sore…" 

"Do what?" said the swallow, pretending not to understand.

"Be my wife," said Frog, "Please, I love you so much. I've never been in love before, so I'm not sure what it feels like, but when you landed here for the first time and told me about the Outside I felt something I had never felt before. A feeling that was much too big for one frog. Like…like trying to drink a whole thunderstorm of rain at once. I thought I would explode--!" 

"Ew." 

"…in a good way, of course," Frog amended, "I want to feel like this forever and ever and ever." 

"Don't say such stupid things," said Swallow, puffing up her feathers, though she was not at all cold. "I'm a bird. You're a frog. It'll never work." 

"Why not?" 

"Because it's never been done! We're two different creatures! There must be laws about it, or something…" 

"How can you know it won't work if it's never been done?" 

"It just won't, ok?" the swallow snapped, "stop being annoying or I'll fly off!" 

Frog did not stop. He was very persistent. Ever since the day his tail grew into legs and his gills became lungs, he'd been reaching for things that were higher than him. He caught all his bugs this way. "Do you want to stay with me?" he asked quietly. 

"I'm here, aren't I?" the swallow scoffed, refusing to meet his eyes. She started scratching at the crumbling mortar with her claws, like she was hoping to find a worm inside the rocks.

"And do I make you happy?" 

"You make me want to peck you to death!" 

"Would pecking me to death make you happy?"

The swallow shut her beak stubbornly and glared off into the distance. Frog swam over to one of the jutting rocks and climbed up as high as he could go. "Swallow, Swallow, if you really hate me just chirp once and I'll never talk about marriage again. But if you do like me, even a tiny little bit, then say nothing at all." 

Swallow glared at him so venomously it would have made a cobra tremble, but she did not make a single sound, nor did she fly off. Her silence was as good as the world's loudest declaration. Frog was so happy he forgot about his sore legs. He leapt into the water and started doing summersaults. 

"I know I'm very ugly, but I promise I'll make a good husband," he said breathlessly, in between his tricks, "I'll catch lots of bugs for you to eat. The biggest bluebottles, and the fattest, sweetest worms. I'll find a nice, big pond for your eggs, and chase away any fish that tries to eat them." 

"I don't lay eggs in ponds, stupid," sighed the swallow, hiding her face in her wing, "I lay them in trees." 

"Then I'll chase away all the fishes in the trees! I'm very fast!" 

Swallow leapt up from her perch in a flurry of feathers, and in an instant she was gone. Vanished into the small circle of sky that had once been the frog's entire world. For a moment, Frog was so shocked he didn't even cry out. He floated there numbly inside his dark, empty well. Now as silent as a tomb without the swallow to talk to. The cosy walls that had once been his home suddenly felt hateful. Like the cavernous throat of some great beast, keeping him trapped in here. Why did he have to open his big mouth and ruin the moment? What if she was gone for good? Each second alone felt like an eternity past. Suddenly, the frog heard the whirring of wings, and his beautiful swallow appeared silhouetted in the opening, a dozen twigs clasped in her beak. 

"Swallow! You came back!"

Swallow did not answer him. She threw the twigs over the side of the well, and was off before they had time to fall into the water. Frog ducked quickly under the surface to avoid getting hit. This was good! She could chuck all the things she wanted at him. In fact, she could stay mad at him forever if it pleased her, just as long as she never left him. 

Swallow came back and threw in a large tuff of grass, still green, with the roots attached. Then a small pinecone. Then three empty snail shells. Most of the stuff wasn't even that heavy, it was like she was just picking up random objects and throwing them in for the hell of it. This went on until the sun had set, and Frog was left floating in a pool of detritus with scarcely any room to kick. Swallow swooped down at last to rest, her cloud-white breast heaving from the exertion. 

"I'm tired and it's too dark," she said with great dignity, after catching her breath. "That old bastard owl is eyeing me up, so I'm going to bed. I'll come back tomorrow and add more stuff." 

"More stuff?" croaked the confused frog.

"I'm going to fill up the well. Make the water level rise so you can get out." 

"What?" Frog cried out, his voice bouncing around the stone walls as if the rocks themselves were shocked by the news, What…? What…? What…? It was not because he couldn't understand her, but because it seemed totally impossible. Too wonderful to be true. 

"You want to get out, don't you?" Swallow said peevishly, "you'll never be able to do it with stubbornness and brute strength alone. This requires strategy." 

"I…but it's so big. It'll take you twenty years at least!" 

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm not filling up the whole thing," the swallow snapped, "I'll just fill it half way and you can jump the rest. So don't you dare get fat and complacent, because once the ten years are up, I won't add a single twig more! I won't have a lazy frog for a husband, you hear me? So you better work hard!"

----------------

"I have something to confess," Liu Bang murmured with down-cast eyes, he shifted closer until they were sitting knee to knee. This was a baited hook if there ever was one, but Lü Zhi was in a biting mood.

"What is it?" she huffed, turning away from the mirror with a regal air.

Liu Bang grinned like a fox with a stolen egg, "…you'll have to reach inside my shirt."

"Why, you--!" Lü Zhi hissed indignantly. This dirty old man enjoyed playing his obscene games, twisting the natural roles of men and women so that she was the pursuer instead of a passive object of his affections, as was the proper way of things.

"What?" Liu Bang cried, all injured innocence which fooled Lü Zhi not at all. "It's just my chest! There's nothing untoward about it at all. The only thing you'll find in there is my loyal, beating heart."

Loyal. That was probably meant to flatter her. But all Lü Zhi could think about was that Cao woman in the house down the street and the bastards Liu Bang had fathered with her. The only thing that stopped him taking her as a concubine was because he couldn't afford it, and now that was going to change. Fresh from his successful peasant rebellion, Old Liu's star was on the rise. The higher he climbed, the more precarious her position became. Just the thought of it made her burn with hatred, like someone was pouring molten lead down her throat.

She made Liu Bang. It was her family's silver. Her tireless work. When he gate-crashed her father's party twenty years ago, he'd been nothing but a peasant with a brilliant smile and snowflakes in his hair. A lump of raw clay, waiting for a pair of hands. A frog squatting in the bottom of his well, convinced that he had seen all the world had to offer.

Before twenty-seven-year-old Liu Erlang met fifteen-year-old Lü Guniang, he had been coasting along on dumb luck and bullheadedness. Couldn't learn his letters. Couldn't hold down a job. A lovable rogue on the fast track to becoming just another drunken street-swindler once old age and hard living caught up with him. She saved him from that fate. Taught him discipline, tact and subterfuge. Filled him with a desperate hunger that had him pacing the streets from dawn till dusk, searching for something that was too big for Pei County to give him.

Those had been the best years of her life. She pushed him to take higher and higher offices, taught him how to pull the right strings, grease the right palms. Watched him basking in that glory, racing through life with the wind in his hair. She was the silent, swelling tide, raising her prized treasure-ship higher and higher, carrying him over treacherous rocks, skirting ferocious whirlpools and out-running ravenous beasts. The political climate had been inhospitable, but where others perished in grand, hubristic explosions, or withered away in the fog of mediocrity, the two of them were riding high after high. Unstoppable. Inseparable.

But of course, the good times couldn't last forever. Heaven's favor proved to be as capricious as the four winds. First she lost her youth, then her beauty, and finally her husband's favor, having failed to birth anything except daughters. His career slowed, and then stalled. By then, Liu Bang was middle-aged and had given up on becoming anything more than a small-town sheriff. He became depressed and complacent, falling into the embrace of his wine-cup and mistress every night. She was the one dragging him along with nothing but spite, willpower and sunk-cost fallacy. She kept an iron grip on their finances, watched out for new opportunities and sent timely gifts to his colleagues, biding their time, building up a storehouse of favours to call on.

She had walked across knives and fire for him, and what did she get in return? A rival on the verge of usurping her position as main wife. Extra mouths to gobble the food that rightly belonged to her legitimate children. A man's loyalty was different from a woman's loyalty.

Lü Zhi grabbed a fistful of Liu Bang's coat and wrenched it open. There was a loud ripping sound as the side tie of Liu Bang's coat gave out--another thing for her to mend that later--and his right lapel came undone in her hand. She had managed to pull it completely out of his belt--no small feat, considering how much his gut had grown over the years. Part of his undershirt had gone with it too, so now his clothes were hanging slightly open. There was a moment of absolute stillness as the two of them stared down mutely at her handiwork. It was actually a rather modest exposure, nothing a few hours of walking couldn't also accomplish. She was a married woman, anything a man had that was worth seeing, she had already seen. Plenty of farmers went shirtless in the summertime. The effect was singular because this had been forceful. Against his will, following her will. Lü Zhi could not seem to tear her eyes away from the length of Liu Bang's sunburned neck and the sliver of bare chest she had exposed, milk-white and vulnerable.

Liu Bang laughed breathlessly, "have I really been away so long?" He tried to play it off manfully, but his eyes were wide and hungry. Lu Zhi's stomach gave a swoop. This was the middle of the day. Guests would be arriving soon. It felt more obscene than seeing him fully naked.

Liu Bang took her hand slowly and guided it into his clothes. Her husband's skin was shockingly hot, his chest rose and fell rapidly under her hands. Her fingers traced the dip in his muscular chest, the sparse, wiry hairs, and finally closed upon a small, brocaded pouch.

She made every item her husband wore, this was not one of hers. When she opened the drawstring, two pieces of broken hairpin fell into her lap. It was one of the ivory pieces that came with her dowry. She had put this one in his hair the morning after he had taken her maidenhead. The pieces were as warm as his skin.

'At least he hadn't sold it to buy that flashy jade pendant,' She thought coldly.

"I didn't want to tell you about it." Liu Bang whispered, "because I knew how much it would upset you. I had a whole story planned while I was traveling here; how I got attacked by three hundred fierce brigands; how I was accosted by a penniless grandmother and her starving, orphaned grandchildren. But the truth is, I broke it because I was stupid and careless. That's it. I have no excuse."

Liu Bang stared into her face with a pathetic air. Lü Zhi gave him absolutely nothing. Liu Bang used his words to ensnare. Lü Zhi could flay people alive with her silences. They were equally matched in that regard.

"I carried the pieces with me, wondering what I was going to do." Liu Bang continued, "First, I kept it in my pocket, but I was afraid someone might steal it. Then I held it in my hand, but I was afraid I might drop it. Finally, I put it in a pouch and wore it around my neck. I wanted to take it back to you, so we can keep one half each. We're like the two pieces of this hairpin, even if we're separated, we still belong together. Wife, if you're mad at your useless husband, you should let it out. Yell and hit me if you want, but please don't hold it in. It's bad for your health."

"And let you play the victim? I don't think so. You don't deserve such easy absolution." In spite of it all, she was starting to soften. She folded the broken shaft into her handkerchief, and Liu Bang took the flowery decoration. If she ever got angry enough, she could at least stab him with it. "Is that all? Do you really expect me to believe this piece of junk was eating you up inside?"

"You're so cruel to this poor husband. He bares his soul to you and you mock his pain."

Lü Zhi picked up her lip-paper and made a show of applying rouge to her mouth, "Get on with it."

"A strange thing happened to me on the road. I dug this jade pendant out of the ground and Zhang Liang had some very cryptic things to say about it."

An auspicious jade piece and words from the genius strategist. Liu Bang had her full attention. She looked at him sharply from the mirror, "what did he say?"

"Many strange things. I didn't understand it at the time--or rather, I wasn't ready to, but I think I get it now. Do you ever wonder why the rats in the storehouses grow fat but the ones in the sewers stay thin and wretched?"

"It’s clearly their environment."

"Yeah. At the end of the day, they're both rats. Nothing about their natures are different, they both have whiskers and tails. So what about people? Who among us are fattening up in the storehouses, and who are wallowing in shit? If we're all rats, what's to stop me from moving into the storehouse to become the biggest, fattest rat of them all?" Liu Bang leaned forwards, and whispered hotly into her ear, "I'm going to replace him."

Lü Zhi gave him a steady, calculating look. "You're not talking about Xiang Yu." The hegemon-king.

"No, I'm talking about him." Liu Bang answered, "Qin Shi Huang." The First Emperor of Qin. There was a galaxy's worth of difference between the two names. The little frog had just told her he wanted to turn into a dragon.

"This is the first time I've ever said these words out loud. Even to myself. I was afraid to take that leap because then it would be real, and I would have to do it." Liu Bang took her hands, "I know you think I bed other women because I don't cherish you anymore. That's not true. They mean nothing to me, I forget them the moment I leave their beds. You're the only one who's on my mind, day and night. Do you think I could trust any of those silly girls enough to tell them these things? Do you think any of them could ever hope to understand my ambitions? To be my wife?" 

Lu Zhi said nothing in reply, but when Liu Bang pressed himself against her and put his lips to her neck, she let him do it, "Well, what do you think, My Lady? I think Empress Lü has a nice ring to it."

Lu Zhi retracted her hands primly and took a deep breath, considering her words carefully, "the commoners already love you. It shouldn't be difficult to keep their support, all you need to do is stay humble and relatable. Remember, you're one of them; a man of the people, you understand their struggles and you have their best interests at heart. With the nobles, you must make them underestimate you. Play up the fact you're an uneducated peasant. Drink, whore and gamble. Be as reckless as possible without losing support. Xiang Yu is powerful and competent in his own right, he can pick and choose his followers so they're always uneasy around him. You have to poach his best men, make them believe you can't live without them, that you'll reward them handsomely when you come into power. This will attract opportunists who are as sly as yourself, people who will do anything it takes to win--they'll be treacherous, of course, but you can beat them with experience. They'll think you're just a charismatic face who is easy to manipulate, do not dissuade them of that."

Liu Bang nodded along eagerly, mouthing her words silently, like she was an oracle bone inscribed by Heaven's own hand. His admiration was a heady thing and Lu Zhi could hear a faint roaring in her ears, growing louder and louder with each passing moment. The wind was picking up. The tides were rising again.

Notes:

Liu Erlang: nickname "second son", lang is used to describe a handsome young man.

Lü Guniang: nickname "young lady". These nicknames combined lends a very ironic love story vibe.

tolkien once said allegory was stupid and a cowards way out. but tolkien's not here so LETS GO BABEY!!!! 

i wrote this enormous, rambling dissertation about liu bang and lu zhi's relationship, only to toss the whole thing out when i realised a dumb little fable would convey the whole thing 800 times better and 800 words shorter. 

this story draws inspiration from the myth jingwei fills the sea, where the creator-god nuwa drowns at sea and is reincarnated as a bird named jingwei, who dedicates her entire existence to filling the eastern sea. it fits lu zhi pretty well, since she is both a powerful force and a victim 

Liu Bang's brilliant hairpin splitting was stolen wholecloth from Bai Juyi's poem "the Song of Big Sad"

any story is a romantic love story if you pause it at the right time...

[latanyalove]

𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬 || 𝐋𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐲

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Chapter 1: New Island Discovery

Words: 2K+

Deep inside the sea, the Straw Hat Pirates found themselves in a disheartening situation. Having just completed a fierce battle with the formidable boss of the previous island, they now floated aimlessly in an empty expanse of water. Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, as if days had melded into one another without distinction.

The Log Pose, a navigational device attached to Nami's wrist, provided them with direction and hope. However, to their dismay, the needle on the Log Pose was now spinning erratically, pointing at nothing in particular. It was as if the very essence of their purpose had been lost in the vastness of the sea.

The crew gathered on the deck of the Thousand Sunny, their expressions reflecting a mixture of frustration, exhaustion, and uncertainty.

The lack of a clear destination weighed heavily on their minds, casting a shadow over their once unwavering resolve. Each member of the crew sought solace in their own thoughts, contemplating the situation at hand.

Luffy, the captain with a heart as big as the ocean itself, clenched his fists, determination burning in his eyes.

He refused to let their current predicament dampen their spirits. With a resolute voice, he declared, "We may be lost, but as long as we're together, we'll find our way!"

His words served as a rallying cry for the crew, reigniting the flames of hope within them. They knew that their strength lay not just in their individual abilities, but in their unity and unwavering belief in one another. They had overcome countless challenges before, and this would be no exception.

As the Straw Hat Pirates sailed onward, their hearts filled with a renewed sense of purpose. They embraced the unknown, ready to face whatever trials lay ahead. With each passing moment, they grew closer as a family, their bonds strengthening amidst the uncertainty of their journey.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Log Pose suddenly began to move, pointing towards a mysterious destination. Luffy and the crew looked at each other in surprise, realizing that their fortunes had finally changed.

With newfound hope, they set sail towards the unknown, ready to meet whatever awaited them.

As the Thousand Sunny sailed through the open sea, they suddenly felt a slight tremor beneath the waves. They soon realized that they had passed through an invisible barrier, and beyond it, they could see a vast and bustling city.

They had stumbled upon a secret paradise, hidden away in the depths of the ocean. They could not believe their eyes - a place of wonder and beauty, hidden away from the world. The crew was awestruck, their excitement palpable.

They had found something special, something that was meant for only them to see. They were eager to explore the mysteries that lay ahead, and so, with a newfound sense of purpose, they sailed into the unknown.

"Luffy," Nami calls him as Luffy sits on the thousand sunny's head and turned around with a smile, his eyes glowing with excitement and a sense of adventure. 

She didn't wait for him to answer as she continued, "You know what the villagers said about the next island we come across? They said it's a place full of mysteries and danger, so I think we should be extra careful."

Nami knew that nothing would get through Luffy's thick skull, but she still wanted to make sure he was aware of the danger they may face. She knew he had a tendency to rush into things without thinking, and she wanted to make sure he was prepared.

Luffy was mesmerized by the sight of the island, his eyes filled with awe and wonder. He could feel the excitement of adventure coursing through his veins, and he was eager to explore.

He didn't even seem to register Nami's warning, his gaze firmly fixed on the island ahead of him. With a newfound sense of purpose, he stood up and shouted, "Let's go!" as he stood on the Thousand Sunny, eager for this mystery island and its secrets. . . .

"Listen up!" Nami shouted as the ship made it to the dock on the island in order to explain how they would be spending their time. "Me and Robin will go shopping with Chopper, Zoro and Sanji will get supplies, and Franky will fix the ship with Usopp and Brook."

Everyone except for Zoro and Sanji were not happy with the plan. They shouted that they could get the supplies themselves and didn't need the help of the others.

This resulted in them arguing loudly, with Zoro and Sanji both trying to get their way. Eventually, the argument escalated into a physical altercation, with the clashing of swords and legs in the background as Zoro and Sanji, fueled by their stubbornness, fought each other to prove their point.

The other crew members watched the fight with amusement, shaking their heads at the two stubborn men but not intervening.

"Then what about me?" asked Luffy during the commotion.

"You'll be going on a little adventure of your own," Nami said with a smile. "You can explore the island and see what you can find. Just be careful and stay out of trouble, okay?"

Luffy nodded, a grin spreading across his face as he imagined what secrets he could uncover on the island.

He watched as his crewmates dispersed, each one of them ready to start their respective tasks. He could feel the anticipation building inside him as he was the only one left on the dock.

With a newfound sense of purpose, he set off on his own, ready to explore the mysteries of the island and uncover its secrets.

He had been exploring the island for the past half hour, but so far had found nothing that could be considered secretive or mysterious. He was about to give up and return to the dock when he heard yelling from a distance. Intrigued, he headed towards it, determined to find out what was the commotion about.

He had nothing to do anyway.

"Zara! You need to listen to what we have to say!"

"Is there any reason that I should listen to some ruthless pirates?"

Luffy had stumbled across a fight between three pirates and a marine. The marine, named Zara, was standing her ground and refusing to listen to the pleas of the pirates.

It seemed like they were trying to convince her of something, but she wasn't budging. Luffy stood at a distance, watching the fight with curiosity. He was eager to find out what the pirates wanted, and why the marine was so stubborn.

"You don't know what you are getting into when you come to this island," another pirate said with disdain.

"No, you don't know what you're getting into when you come to this island and come for me," Zara warned. "I can take care of myself, so I suggest you back off now before things get really ugly." She glared at the pirates, her eyes full of determination.

The three pirates looked at each other before they all rushed forward, their swords drawn and ready to attack Zara. Luffy watched in shock as the three of them advanced, their weapons glinting in the sunlight.

He quickly realized he had to do something, and his heart raced as he prepared to jump into the fray.

But he stopped in his tracks. Before he could move, he watched in amazement as the marine had somehow brought a sword out of thin air and had sliced the pirates, making them unconscious in a few seconds.

Luffy was astonished. He had never seen anything like it before.

When he realized two brown eyes were staring straight at him from below, he felt his cheeks grow red. He quickly averted his gaze, feeling embarrassed that he had been caught watching the fight.

He was about to ask the marine how she had done it, but she had already sheathed her sword back into thin air and was walking away, dragging the three unconscious pirates behind her.

Luffy watched her go, leaving him with more questions than answers.

All he knew was that she had to join his crew! He needed to know how she had defeated the three pirates so easily, and he was determined to find out.

He had to have her on his side.

He quickly made up his mind and followed her, trailing a safe distance behind. He followed her to the Marine base, where he watched her drop off the prisoners.

Then he followed her to the bakery, where she bought some bread before heading to the abandoned side of the village. Luffy kept his distance, but he was determined to find out what she was up to.

He was intrigued by her and her mysterious fighting skills, and he wanted to know more.

When Zara entered one of the houses, Luffy quickly scrambled up the side of the building and crouched on the roof, peering into the dark interior of the house through the broken roof with holes.

He could just make out Zara's silhouette inside, but he couldn't hear what she was saying.

When the light from the setting sun shone through the window, Luffy could see that Zara was sitting on a chair with her eyes closed, her hands clasped together in her lap. She seemed to be deep in thought, her expression peaceful and her breathing steady.

Luffy watched her intently, wondering what she was thinking about.

Zara had brown skin and curly black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail. She wore a crisp white Marine uniform that set her apart from the other people in the village, and she had a long sword sheathed at her side.

Her face was expressionless and her eyes were a deep brown, almost black in color.

Luffy was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Zara had opened her eyes and was now staring at him through the window. He felt his cheeks flush as he realized he had been caught again.

"Monkey D Luffy," She mentioned, "Are you going to keep staring at me like a creep or are you going to get down from there?"

Luffy quickly scrambled off the roof, embarrassed but determined to find out more about Zara and her mysterious fighting skills.

He slid through the window and stood in front of Zara, checking if his hat was okay. She seemed a bit surprised but didn't seem angry.

"What do you want?" She asked straightforwardly. 

Luffy looked up at Zara, a determined expression on his face. "I want you to join my crew," he said simply. "I've seen your fighting skills and I think you'd make a valuable addition to my crew. What do you say?

Zara looked at Luffy for a few moments before she started to laugh. "You're serious, aren't you?" she said, shaking her head.

"You really think I would join your crew?" Luffy nodded, a determined expression on his face.

"Why not? I think you'd make a great addition to my crew and I'm sure you have a lot to offer." He paused and smiled. "What do you say? Will you join us?"

She shook her head, her face suddenly serious. "You know that's impossible," she said. "I'm a Marine and you're a pirate. We are sworn enemies and there is no way I could ever join your crew."

Luffy then said, "Then arrest me. If you won't join the crew, then arrest me and take me away. I'm sure you can come up with a good reason."

Zara was taken aback by his statement. She hadn't expected him to say such a thing and wasn't sure how to respond.

He smiled again, this time with a little more determination. "I'll wait in prison for you," he said, placing his hat on her head and holding his hands out in front of him in a gesture of surrender.

"I'm sure you'll come around eventually and join my crew."

Zara was taken aback by his statement. She hadn't expected him to say such a thing and wasn't sure how to respond. She hesitated for a few moments, then quickly recovered and moved forward to arrest him.

She grabbed his hands and put them in the handcuffs, then led him away.

Despite her best efforts to remain discreet, the villagers quickly found out that Luffy had been taken away by a Marine. They started to gather around the prison, curious to find out what was happening and how a Marine had managed to arrest a pirate that was so strong and ruthless to have over a million for a bounty. . . .

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

If you want to read more, the rest of the story is on Wattpad! My username is Enkai_Umino!

Sorry if this Luffy sounds a little out of character! This is my first time writing about One Piece characters so sorry they might not act like themselves! Please give some constructive criticism as well!

[himluv]

DA Review Series: Until We Sleep

After a little break in posting, I'm reading to continue this review series!

<<< Previous Review: Those Who Speak

Title: Until We Sleep Author/Illustrator: David Gaider/Chad Hardin Publication Year: 2012 In-World Year: ~9:38 Dragon Verdict: Another great installment that offers some closure for Maric and Alistair, and opens the door for Maevaris. And, there's some more good lore here as well!

Until We Sleep picks up just after Those Who Speak. Isabela, Varric, and Alistair are sailing with the Qunari to a ruined fortress called Ath Venaris, where Aurelian Titus has holed up to complete his ritual to restore Tevinter to its glory days.

Varric narrates this issue, and I felt like his voice was very strong and consistent throughout the graphic novel. I liked how he would narrate one thing, but the art told us another, showing how he could be unreliable if he felt it would better benefit the story OR he wanted to protect a friend.

Basically, the gang rolls up on this fortress to stop Aurelian, Varric finds Maevaris in a dungeon, clearly tortured, and Maric is suspended from the ceiling and connected to a blood magic artifact that's enhancing Aurelian's powers.

It seems like dragon blood is even more potent than human blood when it comes to fueling magic — which is alluded to in the recent Dragon Age: Absolution! — and Maric and Alistair carry dragon blood from their Calenhad lineage.

We also learn that Calenhad was (possibly) aided by a mysterious witch in his rise to glory in uniting Ferelden. Hmmm.... Who could that be, I wonder?

Anyway, things go sideways in their efforts to save Maric, and everybody winds up in the Fade. There we meet Bianca Davri (or her likeness, anyway) and learn that Varric is in love with her and wanted them to run away together. Obviously, none of which actually happened.

The gang reunites in the Fade and defeats Aurelian, but Maric is too depleted and wasted from the ritual to be saved. Alistair doesn't take the news well, and seems even more bitter than when the story started. Isabela seems to have dropped her name, opting for simply "Captain". And Varric presumably returns to Kirkwall. The End.

This series opens a lot of doors while closing very few. There's a lot here that Bioware could still pull from and for that reason I think this series is a must read for fans. It's also interesting because it isn't actually connected to any of the games. The plot is completely standalone, it isn't caused by DA2 and it doesn't directly influence DAI. It's just a side quest with familiar faces that provides so many jumping off points for the franchise, should they choose to use them.

I'm hoping we'll continue to see the use of dragons in magic rituals (sorry dragons!) because I want to learn what the hell is up with this whole dragon blood thing. It seems important, but underdeveloped/utilized in the series so far. Fingers crossed, I guess!

[abbythewritor]

"Fairness." OnePiece x Saitama reader, 5.

"Just a Normal girl looking for an everyday life. At least, if you call sailing across the seas with idiots with useless dreams a simple task, then you might wanna see a doctor. Seriously."

Warnings: Blood, gore, mentions of Luekimia, and heaps amount of blood and strength. It might be a little cursing, but not bad, and maybe some flirting in there, but it's mostly clean.

Other things:

-You didn't get bald due to your powers; you got bald to an extreme illness.

-You part of the straw hat crew, but others are interested in you and your power.

-Everyone that is a male is taller than you.

-Monsters from the OPM world will appear in One Piece, and I'll make some new monsters you will fight.

Enjoy the fifth chapter everyone!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Alright, here's the plan!"

Everyone was surrounding Jimbei as we were closer to Marineford. I was still sitting by Crocodile as everyone else rang us three. "We are headed to the marine headquarters to rescue Ace! It will be dangerous, so we must keep our guard up!" He explained as Buggy whipped towards him. "HEY WAIT A MINUTE!! NAVY HQ?!! I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THE WAR BETWEEN WHITEBOARD AND THE NAVY! BUT WE DON'T NEED TO GET INVOLVED!!" He snapped, others nodding with agreement, which made Crocodile sigh with reply. "It's obvious. It's your fault for being so clueless." "WHAT?!" Buggy screeched as Crocodile continued. "We passed through the gate of justice. That means our destination must be either the Navy HQ or Enies Lobby. The tub current that we're on is exclusive to the Government. It's a giant whirlpool that connects the Government's 3 significant facilities. We wanted to break out because we have a role in the war." He finished, as I nodded. "He's right; even if we tried to get out of here, tides, which I've heard of, will only keep us in this circle, which would be hard to escape anyway. "

Mister Three and Buggie's eyes grew wide, their tongues coming out as Luffy nodded to our statement. "Yeah. The real fight is on its way."

"THE REAL FIGHT IS ON ITS WAY?!" The two snapped, as everyone else didn't know about this Buggy, and Mister Three pleaded with Jimbei to stop the ship, but they didn't understand that we were on a current. "We can't stop! We are on the current!" Jimbei replied as my head tilted. "Why can't you guys just jump off?" The two whipped to me angrily. "WE CAN'T. DEVIL FRUIT USERS LIKE US WILL DIE INSTANTLY!!" My head tilted more. "Really? Even just swimming?" Mister One stood beside me, crossing his arms. "Devil fruit users can't swim in the water; we'll just sink to the bottom." I nodded. "I see, so I guess you guys are going to the war after all." "SHUT UP!" The two snapped again, and I giggled as Jimbei continued with the plan.

The way he described the White beart pirates, the marines, and the warlords seemed pretty thorough, as they sounded solid.

This world never ceased to amaze me, wondering who I was going to fight next, what allies I was going to make, and even what outcome to arrive.

But, listening to Jimbeis plan more and more, I couldn't help but get excited, as there would be enemies just as powerful as I, which meant a fair fight would be coming my way very soon.

After a couple more minutes of discussing the plan, one of the snail things rang, and it caught my attention. "Oi, I think something is ringing." Everyone heard it too, as Luffy and everyone looked around

Soon enough, Luffy landed his eyes on a pillar with a door, and everyone besides Crocodile, Jimbei, and Mister One ran that way.

Smashing through the wall, I grabbed out a snail with a phone on it. Everyone's eyes widened. "A-A snail transponder!" I looked at it confusingly, as Mister three walked to me. "Don't answer it! We are ona marine ship!" Luffy stood on the other side of me, as he looked at it blankly, buggy soon in front of me as us four, and the criminals looked at it more. But, as Luffy was getting inpatient, he simple picked it up, and answered it. "Hello?" "HE ANSWERED IT!!!" "This is Navy HQ."

"Ah, I'm Luffy." I nod. "And I'm Y/n." Everyone was shocked. "DON'T GIVE YOUR NAMES LIKE THAT!!"

"We know that the ship has been taken by escapees. We received a report from Fleet Escort Force at Impel Down. We determined who the two main suspects of this great escape case were...from, the insider information before contact was lose. Monkey D Luffy, and a rather larger, yet strong female!" Everyone surrounding us was shocked. "Y-Y/n-san is a suspect! But there warlords here!" A criminal yelled. "Yeah! She's to cute to be a suspect!" One of them replied, as we listened further as the marine continued, telling us how Buggy was also apart of Gold D Rogers crew, a friend of the current yonko shanks, as well as he had the same plan as Luffy to free ace, as he was freaking out.

The marine also told us that we would never get through the gates into Marineford, as we will be instantly shot down, as he explained there was no sea for us to escape an Live on to.

I was getting a little iterated from this marine guy. "Oi, Marine guy." My voice spoke, as he hummed with response. "I don't know how tough you marines are, but you guys are seriously getting on my nerves." Everyone's eyes jolted open. "EH?!" "You seriously think your little talk will make us back down? Ace is an important person, a man at the wrong time, and to think you Idiots arrested him for only wanting freedom and Justice for his murdered crewmate? Pow pathetic.." Crocodile smirked, both him and Mister one looking my way from the Cannon, as everyone's mouth couldn't close or speak. "We are going to rescue Ace, even if it gets us killed, because everyone in the world, weak or strong, deserves freedom, and fairness." I finished, shutting the snail thing off, and throwing it off the ship, into the water, causing the pirates to slump, as Mister three grabbed my shoulders. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! WITH SUCH A PEDIGREE HOW COULD YOU BE SO DIRTY?!" "My, My, seems like we have a pickle, but we shouldn't be blaming Y/n-san after all, as we all want justice in this world." Ivanka spoke, as Luffy nodded. "Yes, that's correct, but hey Buggy, I already knew you used to be apart of Rogers crew, but, the old man, rayleigh, told me that you and Shanks grew up together." Buddy came out of nowhere. "RAYLEIGH?! YOU'VE MET HIM?!" He asked with a smile, then continued. "I miss Vice Captain! Where'd you see him?!" He asked, as everyone was shocked they were talking about a man known as "Dark King" as I was just even more confused, but didn't want to question it. But, as Luffy tried to explain, the idiot pirates surrounded Buggy more, Praising him for being so strong, as Buggy was just as confused, but took in the compliments and held a proud smile. I sighed, shaking my head with a smile on my lips as well, as the air suddenly changed, which made everyone to look, as my eyes then widened.

A large marine base, just in the distance, which might be the area where the war is going on, as Smoke was arising from the far.

"THAT'S IT EVERYONE! MARINEFORD!" Jimbei yelled, as me and Luffy ran next to him, all of us soon standing on our feet as we were getting closer.

A small smile pressed against my lips, as my fist clenched slightly. 'Hold on Ace..' I thought, looking to Luffy, then back to the base.

'Your fairness will soon come.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"W-What happened?! It stopped moving!!" Well, you and everyone were about too arrive to marine base, until a giant ass tsunami decided to show up.

As Jimbei made the ship ride up it, the water of the storm froze, as the marine ship, and all of you were now sitting on it, not moving a muscle.

You were shocked, as you were beside Ivanka and Jimbei, as Buggy also looked over the edge, not believing his eyes either. "W-WHAT THE HELL?! THE SHIP HAS ICED IN AND WE'RE COMPLETELY TRAPPED!!!" Jimbei looked at it thoroughly, as he already knew what the cause of the water freezing is done by. Crocodile was off the ship, as he went to the edge of the frozen water, as he was able to see the war going on. "Look down." He spoke, turning to us. "You can see what's going on."

Jimbei and Ivanka hopped down, Luffy following as he picked me up, bringing me down with him as we both looked at well.

"Old man..." Jimbei mumbled, as Ivanka gulped. "The war has already begun..."

My brows furrowed with seeing so much death and destruction below, as most of it was done by the said marines.

Looking around more, my eyes landed on Ace, who was on the execution platform as a giant ogre was dead before him. "It all makes sense." I looked to Jimbei, who was still looking down. "The title wave was whitebeard, declaring war himself as the freezing of it was done by Admiral Aokiji..." "I see" I looked back down. "Both sides seem to have powerful fighters...it's a matter of time when Ace gets executed...how do we get down?" "EVERYONE LISTEN!" Luffy yelled his hands on his hips. "I got an idea to get us through this!" He announced as we all had ears until I held up my hand. "Luffy, wait, I got an idea; everyone would have to brace themselves, though." He paused, and everyone looked at me. "The only way we need to go is down, and the only way to do that with the ship stuck is to break the ice." "N-NANI?!" Buggy and Mister Three yelled, as Luffy nodded. "Right! We only have a little time or know what's going on since the snail thing is gone, so we must hurry!!" I nodded. "Leave it to me!" Soon enough, I jumped super high in the air as some pirates gasped with awe; getting high enough, I took a deep breath before launching back down, my fist punching the ice, which broke instantly but also exploded.

The loud noise caused the war to stop below, as the warlords, marines, Ace, Admrials, and Whitebeard pirates were all confused about what was happening.

That was until a marine pointed up. "LOOK! An explosion!" Garp and Sengoku, who were with Ace, looked up, as Did Whitebeard and everyone else, as the ship we all were on was falling, with the team who escaped impel down as well. Ace was utterly shocked, as Buggy and everyone except me, Crocodile, and Mister One were screaming. "YOU IDIOT GIRL!! SOME OF US CAN'T SWIM YOU KNOW!!!" My eyes rolled. "It's all ground, Buggy-sama, you'll be fine-" "WE WON'T BE FINE IF WE ALL CRASH AND DIE!!" Mister Three added, as all of is continued to fall, as Ace saw Luffy, his eyes widening, but he saw you as well, even more shocked. "L-Luffy.....T-The c-cutie..." He mumbled as we didn't land exactly where we wanted to, near Whitebeard's ship, as a loud 'crash!' noise surrounded the area, and smoke and pieces from the marine ship flew everywhere.

No one knew what was going on, as I coughed persuasively, Jimbei offered me a hand up as I accepted and looked to Crocodile. "Are you ok?!" He nodded, dusting himself off, as I looked to Mister One, who also nodded.

Jimbei brought Luffy, Mister Three, and Buggy up from sinking in the ocean as they coughed rapidly.

Exhausted, Buggy couldn't stand anymore as he barely made it, as Luffy stood beside you. "A-Ace! W-Were are you, Ace!!" He yelled, coughing from almost drowning, as I knelt to him. "Hey, take it easy; we'll get to him. You'll need to get the water out of your lungs first-" I paused when Luffy stood up, shocked as he saw the execution platform in the distance, Ace on it who looked our way with disbelief.

I looked at him, smiling that they hadn't executed him yet, as Luffy took a big breath before yelling. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, everyone in the war hearing him as the fire fists eyes started to water. "LUFFYYY!!!" HE screamed back, as Luffy smiled, not worried at all, and he got into stance. "Hang on, Ace! I'll-" He paused when the others stood beside us, Buggy awake, as Crocodile was on the other side of Me, Ivanka on the other side of Luffy as Jimbei and Mister One were beside her, as Mister. Three beside Crocodile, as well as Buggy.

"W-Wait a minute.." One of the Marines spoke, looking at a crocodile. "C-Crocodile!?" Another Marine gulped. "Not just him, there's more!" Ivanka chuckled, a smirk forming her lips. "All forces are here on both sides! There are a lot of big names!" She spoke as Buggy laughed, his arms going out. "The world's got to be ready for it!" I smirked at their comments, excitement rolling through my veins as Luffy got into position, looking straight at Ace. "Ace, we're coming to rescue you!!" The team was shown as Sengoku gritted his teeth angrily, whipping to Garp. "GARP IT'S YOUR STUPID FAMILY AGAIN!" Garp couldn't believe it also, as both his hands grabbed his head. "LUFFY NO!!"

"Look! I-It's not only the straw hat!" A marine spoke, looking at Jimbei, Me, and Ivanka." I-It's Jimbei and Ivankov! of the Revolutionaries army! A-And that girl! It was described on the escape report at Impel down!"

Another one gulped. "Y-You mean the cute one they were describing?! She doesn't look like a pirate at all! But look at all of these infamous pirates behind them, too!" The pirates joining us roared with fighting spirit as we looked at another tall, handsome man...his yellow daring eyes like a haw, a red/black hat onto his head, which matched his vampire-like look, his pale skin which complimented his slick black hair, as he looked to Luffy and me. "He always causes trouble...Straw Hat....bringing a regular girl into this is foolish, especially when she doesn't look like anything special." A tall, creepy creature shrieked with anger. "STRAW HAT!!"

A familiar pink-haired and blonde-haired male was also shocked to see Luffy watching from a distance. "He's so tough!" The pink-ette spoke, the blonde boy about to faint.

The Admirals were also watching as a familiar pineapple-like man looked at him. "He's the brother that Ace was talking about, Yoi. But I' curious Yoi on who that girl is, Yoi."

"So jimbei, you working with pirates now, huh?! What kind of switch off is that-" "That's right." Jimbei spoke. "I resign from the warlord position..." Sengkoku growled angrily as he and Garp knew we all had a common goal.

Crocodile was looking around, his eyes landing on Whitebeards's ship, his brows furrowing with irritation as he bolted, as I was confused why.

But, I saw him hurry to Whitbeard's ship, as he mentioned on defeating him, but...I don't think he can, because I think that old man means so much to Ace...I need to follow him.

As all kinds of destruction surrounded Whitebeards's ship, he only glanced at the scenery, letting out growls, and stood proud. "Long time no see Whitebeard...."

Crocodile's voice was familiar to the old man as he sighed. "You never learn..do you?" Crocodile didn't say anything but was irritated as he was about to attack him until a hand roughly grabbed his hook, launching him away.

I landed safely behind the old man, The debris coming from the ship crocodile flew towards some marines, as they ducked for cover.

Crocodile was irritated with you as he looked down to see you have water on you.

I was looking at you with a blank face, my fists clenching. "Even though the agreement has been fulfilled... it's pretty stupid to go After a man who means so much to Ace..." I snarled, and he looked surprised as I already knew his weakness. "Then why are you protecting him when he's a stranger to you, Miss Y/n-san...?" His question didn't affect me as I looked up from the floor to him. "Because...no matter who's going after who, if the enemy senses to kill someone who has done nothing wrong yet....I'd strive to take them down..." I firmly stated as Marco was eager with my words, as he looked up at the ship from behind him.

But, as Crocodile was about to move again, some members of the old man's crew blocked him from moving, as Whitebeard glared down at me.

He didn't see anything special about me, not knowing how a small, larger girl like me was able to dodge a whitebeard attack.

My clothing was odd too; black/red checkered pants hugged my curves, and I had a little tank-crop top on, I didn't have any shoes or socks on, as my clothes looked ripped and damaged.

"Oi...brat.." He spoke as I turned to him. "Oh, yes?" "You could block Crocodiles' attempt to condemn me....what was your reason?" "Because Ace says you mean so much to him, that's what." His eyebrows rose with slight surprise. "You knew Ace?" I nod. "Only for like 5 hours...until they took him here. He seems like a really nice and caring guy; it makes me pissed on how he got to this point...people like him don't deserve this kind of hatred." "And you came here to rescue him...with his brother...correct?" I nodded sternly. "Yes, sir!" He glared harshly at me. "DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH?!" He asked louder, as the ground rumbled, but it didn't bother me, as he lifted his staff, soon slamming it on the ground, as again, it caused the earth to rumble. "A little girl like you would be dead meat!" He spoke again, as Ivankov and Buggy had fear on their faces, and my fists started to clench. "Shut up!"I snarled, looking straight up at you. "First of all, I'm not little; second, you're a fucking bastard to think that a girl can't fight!! You don't even know me!! I just saved your ass, and this is how you repay me?! And you call yourself a Yonko!!" I screamed. Buggy and Ivanka's eyes widened more with shock as they couldn't believe your words, and he glared down at me. "Your crew member, the boy you care about most, is up on that platform, about to die any minute...It's not up to you to decide who and who doesn't get to fight!! I know exactly what you are up to; Ace told me you would become king of the pirates, Right?! That's not happening because Luffy told me he wants to become King of the Pirates. I have full faith that Luffy will achieve that goal!! And you wanna know what else?! I'll do everything in my power to save Ace... BECAUSE EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD GETS PICKED ON, THE STRONG DESERVE FAIRNESS IN THIS WORLD!!" I screamed, my voice booming as the pirates, marines, and the team had their arms up in the air, their mouths open wide enough to hit the floor, as I just stood up to Whitebeard, not showing any fear whatsoever. Your words struck Whitebeard hard as a low groan escaped his mouth.

He and you glared harshly at each other, veins popping out of both of your heads as you prepared for him to fight you, until he lifted his staff again, slamming it on the ground harder this time, as you didn't flinch...until a smile spread to the Yonkos lips, impressed with your bravery. "I like you...kid...what's your name..?" I let my guard down. "Y/n L/n's, sir!" I responded, his eyes looking down at me. "You have strong hope of strength, Y/n....a great ability on the battlefield. I won't forgive you if you cause me trouble...understand?" I nodded sternly, facing forward to Ace. "No problem, just don't get in my way." Everyone still had wide eyes and mouths, as they couldn't believe I was simply talking to Whitebeard, my 'hair' blowing in the wind. "I-I can't believe this girl.." Ivanka spoke as Buggy gulped. "S-She just..."

"STOOD UP TO A YONKO!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[joprompts]

sweeney todd: the demon barber of fleet street lyric starters. act one. starters from the musical. adjust as necessary.

what happened then? well, that's the play.

i have sailed the world, beheld its wonders.

but there's no place like london!

i feel home again.

you are young. life has been kind to you. you will learn.

alms! alms! for a miserable woman/man/person on a miserable, chilly morning.

hey, don't i know you?

off, i said. to the devil with you!

there's a hole in the world like a great black pit and the vermin of the world inhabit it and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit and it goes by the name of london.

at the top of the hole sit the privileged few, making mock of the vermin in the lower zoo, turning beauty into filth and greed.

she/he/they/you was his/her/their/my reason and his/her/their/my life.

there's somewhere i must go. something i must find out. now. and alone.

wait! what's your rush, what's your hurry?

you gave me such a fright! i thought you was a ghost!

did you come here for a pie?

do forgive me if me head's a little vague.

there's are probably the worst pies in london!

if you doubt it, take a bite.

is that just disgusting?

here, drink this. you'll need it.

well, pity a woman alone with limited wind.

i don't go near it. people think it's haunted. you see, years ago, something happened up there. something not very nice.

what was their crime?

my, you do like a good story, don't you?

you've been locked out of sight all these years, like me.

well, i've come home to find you waiting.

and we'll do wonders, won't we?

i'm your friend, too.

always had a fondness for you, i did.

you shall drip rubies. you'll soon drip precious rubies.

at last, my arm is complete again!

how is it that you sing?

are you screaming?

have you decided it's safer in cages, singing when you're told?

my cage has many rooms.

nothing there sings, not even my lark. larks never will, you know, when they're captive.

teach me to be more adaptive.

if i cannot fly, let me sing.

but not even in london, have i seen such a wonder.

look at me, miss! oh, look at me, please!

favor me with your glance!

i feel you.

i was half convinced i'd waken, satisfied enough to dream you. happily, i was mistaken.

ladies and gentleman, may i have your attention, please!

do you wake every morning in shame and despair to discover your pillow is covered with hair what ought not to be there?

you are about to see something that rose from the dead!

pardon me, what's that awful stench?

glad, as always, to oblige my friends and neighbors.

who says the week is out yet? it's only tuesday.

easy now, hush, love, hush. don't distress yourself. what's your rush?

i've been thinking flowers — maybe daisies — to brighten up the room. don't you think some flowers — pretty daisies — might relieve the gloom?

wait, love, wait,

oh, can't you think of nothing else? always brooding on your wrongs, what happened heaven knows how many years ago. 

slow, love, slow. time's so fast. now goes quickly— see, now it's past! soon will come, soon will last. wait.

half the fun is to plan the plan.

gillyflowers, maybe. instead of daisies.

gillyflowers, i'd say. nothing like a nice bowl of gillies. 

what shall i do? i'd rather die.

i have a plan.

oh, dear, was that a noise?

kiss me!

oh, sir.

ah, miss.

'tis Friday, virtually sunday. what can we do with time so brief?

we fly tonight!

behind the curtain quick!

it was the gate! it was the gate! except, we don't have a gate!

i feel a fright.

i did love you, even as i saw you.

marry me, marry miss, miss!

you're looking less than your best, my lord.

and ladies, my lord, are weak.

ladies in their sensitivities, my lord, have a fragile sensibility.

i mean another noise!

what shall i wear?

i feared you'd gone away.

you see a man infatuate with love: her ardent and eager slave.

but, first, i think — a shave.

you're in a merry mood today.

'tis true, sir, love can still inspire the blood to pound, the heart leap higher.

revenge can't be taken in haste.

and who may it be said is your intended, sir?

pretty as her mother?

all this running and shouting. what is it now, dear?

i had him!

why did i wait? you told me to wait!

there's a hole in the world like a great black pit and it's filled with people who are filled with shit and the vermin of the world inhabit it— but not for long!

they all deserve to die!

there are two kinds of men and only two. there's the one staying put in his proper place and the one with his foot in the other one's face.

because the lives of the wicked should be made brief. for the rest of us, death will be a relief.

how about a shave?

welcome to the grave.

i will have vengeance. i will have salvation.

i'm alive at last and i'm full of joy!

seems a downright shame.

these are desperate times and desperate measures must be taken. 

here we are now, hot out of the oven.

what is that?

how gratifying for once to know, that those above will be serving those down below!

we'll take the customers that we can get.

we'll not discriminate great from small. no, we'll serve anyone. meaning anyone — and to anyone, at all.

[vendily-blog]

Mario & Luigi: Brothership Announcement Trailer Analysis

Okay okay, I'm done with making gifs for right now. I still can't believe it's real. And releasing in November too.

As per usual, everything goes under a read more.

So first things first. The Brothership.

It seems to be a floating island, and brings to mind the Starship Mario (the "Faceship") from Mario Galaxy 2.

At the front of the ship is the cannon, which the brothers use to launch to other islands, as you can see the sail and the cliffs behind it in this shot.

I wonder if this means we'll get a slightly less linear adventure, since there's clearly a selection for islands using the telescope mounted to the cannon.

If so, I wonder if it'll be a world map type thing, where completing an island gets you the path forward to more islands (Galaxy 2 style), or a central hub style, where you upgrade the ship to reach farther islands (Galaxy 1 style). It could go either way honestly, and there's not enough evidence either way to say yet.

What I do have evidence of, is the selection screen for different overworld Bros Moves! The Japanese trailer is very slightly different from the English one, and we get a much clearer view of the icons before they use the UFO spin one.

So it seems that Bros. Ball is back! It doesn't quite look like Ball Hop from Dream Team, it has little speed lines, so I think it really is the version of the move from Partners in Time!

We can also see there's at least 1 more action yet to be unlocked. Maybe it's a burrow action?

Speaking of UI, there's a few shortcuts in the corner. Interestingly, the top two options, a thinking bubble and a golden pipe, don't appear in the middle screenshot, which may be from early game, given the low coin counts (2201 coins, 98 coins, and 476 coins respectively). A hint system, Return to Brothership, and your normal menu to adjust gear and use items perhaps?

Speaking of currency, there's 2 of them in the game.

Seems like magic sparkles, and standard coins.

Sparkles might be used to upgrade the ship? We see in other shots that Connie seems to be a gardener of sorts and the ship is partially organic.

She has this seed or lightbulb shaped symbol on her head and there's other garden equipment here, like the trowel.

Speaking of important characters, Princess Peach being here is a fun surprise!

It seems the the Princess also ended up in this otherworld too, but not at the same time as the brothers, as she's picked up her own crew, and Dorrie. I wonder if she'll join along on the Brothership once you find her, or if she has her own adventure during the course of the story (sort of like Minion Quest/Bowser Jr.'s Journey from the Superstar Saga and Bower's Inside Story remakes).

It's also interesting that Bowser's here. He might not be behind this plot if the princess is here, he's not one to go sending Peach to alternative dimensions. Maybe he's followed them here because the Princess disappeared.

And perhaps a bit of fighting with the bros for good measure. It seems he fires upon the Brothership here, but he might not be working with the Extension Corps.

They share the same electrical theming as the other NPCs we've seen so far and their plot seems to revolve around these odd generators, which we can also see in the pre-bossfight intro here.

I suppose their plot might involve powering something. Or maybe they're taking something from these generators, given they seem to be spread out.

On the topic of battles though, either we get stat upgrades through food items, like the various coffees from Superstar Saga, or we get random rolls back (maybe both) because there's some variation in the stats of the bros at times between the JP and EN trailers.

Left is from the English video and right is from the Japanese one during the Headphone Jack Corp Boss. Which is odd, because every other part of the videos has tried its hardest to be identical save for the language change.

Same deal for the Gorumbla boss. Left English, Right Japanese.

It just seems like a rather odd decision to do the boss on different levels for the video, so that's why I think the fluctuation is from random rolls. But there could still be a cooking system, as we have this shot of the brothers and they may be in a kitchen of sorts?

I have other questions for the battle system too. We never see any battle action selection so it's hard to say in any particular way, but all the attacks we see seem to be duo attacks.

This Hammer move has an extra effect, "Kaboom Attack" but I don't know if it's an effect of the Bros. attack (it'll always do this) or a special effect of an equipped hammer for instance (much like how you could equip gear that allows you to stomp on spiked foes or spawn a spike ball to do extra damage afterwards).

On the overworld, it seems like Luigi is the one to come up with ideas? The Exclamation mark that denotes Luigi interaction is slightly shaped like an L, both in the animation and in the overworld afterwards.

Luigi retains this green glow whenever he's currently doing a Luigi action for lack of a better term.

It visually reminds me of Luiginary Works in Dream Team. I'm not sure if it's specifically a mechanic in the plot (Much like Dreamy Luigi was), or just a tool to show you Luigi is preoccupied.

(Also yes, Hammer on X and Y again, I missed that so much.)

Anyway rapid fire random thoughts before I stop.

I like the Mario Odyssey inspired Mushroom Kingdom, with the towers around the main castle.

I suppose the plot starts because they're just such good bros to each other, but that doesn't quite explain why Princess Peach and Bowser are here? I also don't see much involving this odd sparkle hand power outside the intro, but it just seems too important to ignore.

I like the one off movement abilities, just like how you had climbing pipes in Superstar Saga or the bike pads/gonzola.

[critical-derolo]

Starlight twinkles softly above them as they drift through the low looming clouds of the night sky. Being up here, on the sky ship, it's the closest to peace most of them have ever - maybe will ever come to. The world down below, and its problems, cannot reach them up here. There is nothing but fresh air, a gentle light, and each other.

Orym sleeps out here most often, of course. The little Air Ashari would logically feel more at home up here than down below, so it naturally makes sense that he would sleep in such freedom as well. Laudna likes it, too, though, and steps outside in the dead of night as often as she can. When her sorcerer sleeps calmly, no wrinkle in her brow, her jaw unclenched. When the moon leaves her alone.

It's soothing, for the dead woman. It quiets the silence in her head that is so roaringly loud most days she cannot think clearly. Insanity, she's come to find, is just another word for noise. Far too much noise.

Tranquility is the exquisite lullaby of a softly whirring engine of a sky ship. The creak of wood shifting on air currents. The flap of sails catching a breeze. If they spent the rest of their days up here, Laudna would be more than happy. "Do you miss Dorian?"

"Oh, jeez!" Orym gasps, his entire tiny frame freezing in a moment before relaxing again. A small hand clutches his chest over his heart. "I didn't think you noticed me."

"Some part of me notices everything," Laudna replies ominously, her dark gaze never straying from the hazy clouds around them. "The rest of me just usually does not."

"Yes," he agrees. Or answers. The halfling climbs up onto a barrel of... something, he can't actually remember if anyone told him what is in it. Maybe just water? All the same, he gets comfortable closer to his companions, jerking his chin to a sleeping Imogen. "How's she doing?"

Finally, Laudna stirs. Her thin, pale lips tug up in the corner - the shadow of a beautiful smile. Beautiful. Like Imogen has always claimed, like Lady Vex'ahlia agreed. He can see it now, beyond the scary. Or within it. "She's sleeping well," Laudna says in a voice just as soft. Her long fingers brush a purple lock of hair from Imogen's face, tucking it behind her ear before plucking the thin blanket higher up over the girl's shoulder. Tucked into Laudna's side and lap, she could not look comfier, and Orym suddenly feels like he's intruding. "Do you miss Will?"

"Every day," he replies without missing a beat. "Do you miss Delilah?"

Laudna blinks and her smile turns bittersweet.

They have strange conversations, he realizes. When they're alone. He gains access to a very different Laudna than he's seen with the others, something softer, something deeper, something darker and more hopeful. Or scared. Hope and fear are a breath away from each other - maybe it's the breath that defines them. "It was bad but I don't think it's the worst thing that's ever happened to you."

Those black eyes slowly raise to meet his and he can see the gears turning, thoughts lacing together and forming a sharp lattice. How Imogen doesn't get cut on it, he has no idea, and wonders if Laudna softens for her or if she softens Laudna. Either way, on her own, in this moment, Orym can see the echo of Delilah on her face. "I realized that too late."

"We'll keep her safe," he promises.

Her head tilts just a little too far, some of that horror seeping back into her person. When she opens her mouth, she snaps it shut immediately and relaxes her pose. The darkness pulls back and, like the moon peeking out from behind a cloud, Laudna's kindness seeps into the space between them. "I know you'll do your best, Orym," she says in that lilting voice of hers. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For scaring you."

"You don't," he insists and she blinks again. He smiles and glances off the side of the boat. "Not anymore, Spooky. I'm sorry."

"For what?" she echoes.

"For being a mirror." His little fingers twist in the air, a soft mossy green glow between them until tulip petals fall. Drift to the floor of the ship, through the air, trailing off into the sky. "Or my bad timing. I keep popping up in your quiet moments."

"Like a bad penny," she agrees with the warmest smile he's seen all night. "I like that."

"Do you?"

"It scares the others in a different way, in the same way Will scares them around you," she explains. "I would love to talk about Will."

It's sharp in his chest, like a jagged piece of glass that moves each time he breathes. But with the agony comes a subtle, almost intoxicating relief.

Taking a deep breath, Orym settles in more officially. His gaze swoops between the two women, the way their hands remain clasped even as Imogen sleeps, and remembers the many mornings he woke up with Will's hand in his. "He loved the night."

[cptn-m]

One Piece chapter 1105 review

After two incredible satisfying steps forward, One Piece 2024 has its first transitional chapter, and at just 13 pages it definitely feels short and soft. Not quite recappy, but just playing through a lot of things that need to be played out based on the last couple of chapters' events. We start with an obligate page of Marine reactions to the Buster Call announcement and the start of their evacuation, all stuff that takes time but is important to show for the flow of the story.

On a first read I wasn't a fan of Sanji's group letting Vegapunk make such a huge sacrifice of staying back to distract Saturn while they all get away, but looking over the chapter again, I decided it's not that bad. Sanji goes right back after seeing the girls and the wounded Kuma to the shuttle, and we can assume that most of this chapter is taking place over a pretty short amount of time. Plus, Vegapunk's got whatever teleportation thing he used in his introduction, the one that got him stuck half in the ancient robot and then took him straight back to Labophase, so the dude maybe had an exit strategy to justify the risks.

Or did Vegapunk just insist, in his naivety, that he could appeal to Saturn's scientific side and save Egghead and genuinely believe it? One or two more times of this guy not realising he can't trust a thing the Government says and it's going to get frustrating that he isn't learning from it.

Saturn shows some classical dictator hypocrisy though, claiming the world needs no more advancement while coveting Vegapunk's advanced weapon systems for himself and the upper class. Fascism loves appeals to traditionalism even if the leaders would never give up the benefits of progress for themselves.

The scenes in the Labophase promise some exciting scenes in the coming chapters, but don't offer much to talk about on their own. Jinbe, Zoro and Lucci sounds exciting, but I'm curious to see where the issue with the ship sliding is meant to be going. Will it just be stopped casually with a gag, or will it fall into the middle of the melee in the Fabriophase, potentially making Kuma's teleportation truly the only way out of here?

The panel of Vegapunk sinking to his knees as his work is destroyed in front of him is a beautiful shot, but I can't help wondering where Saturn went to allow this to happen. He doesn't seem to be the type to just sit back and trust the Buster Call to kill the scientist. Oh, he'll monologue before making the kill, sure, but he had that readiness to step on Bonney and Kuma personally.

The final spread of this chapter is a gorgeous aerial shot, amazingly drawn with the ring of Pacfistas charging up in the corner. Very well composed and the definite highlight of the chapter. There was a similarly impressive spread for Garp's arrival at Fullalead during the cutaways last year, so Oda's either found a taste for these shots, or maybe found an assistant who's good with drawing structures from that high up perspective. Hope he keeps them coming.

Kuma shows another sign of life to once again protect his daughter. Will he stay switched on longer this time?

Luffy at the food machine is… fine. It makes sense that's where he'd go if he found just enough energy to start moving. I think we're still waiting on a reveal for how he got that initial serve of food, but we'll see.

I'm glad to see the escape vessel was allowed to live in the last couple of panels. The final few chapters of the flashback made of point of showing how the researchers were in on Vegapunk, Kuma and Bonney's relationship and cared for them too, and I found it truly dark and tragic that they had seemingly been so casually destroyed. But by who? I mean, we were shown the Blackbeard ship, right? We've been wondering when they'd make landfall and whose side they'd benefit, right? Just about everyone else who has skin in the game is at minimum days of sailing away and would only have heard of anything happening on Egghead at all, let alone how bad it's become in the past few hours, in yesterday's evening edition paper or today's morning one. So the debate I'm seeing over this one is flooring me.

Reading the takes on the various OP subreddits about this chapter after the scan release was, honestly, kinda depressing. The amount of people making top, upvoted comments that either hadn't noticed or completely forgot about Blackbeard's ship being established chapters ago, or Robin getting injured during the cutaway is insane to me. Not even claiming the Blackbeard ship was a red herring for the sake of a bigger off the wall theory, just straight up not knowing that it had been established. I'm fine with there being people out there who aren't as into this stuff as I am, who just kinda skim the chapters and don't analyse or sit with it all. And of course these people have every right to come online and talk the series anyway. But there being enough of them on the dedicated One Piece subs for their confusion to rise to the top, over any reasonable analysis or fully informed reaction, that's just sad. I hope this doesn't read too gatekeep-y, I'm just finding myself increasingly done with Reddit lately.

Anyway, griping about internet reading comprehension aside, I might be whelmed by this chapter but it's great to be getting three without a break again, which means all the exciting stuff this one was needed to set up is coming that much sooner.

[dawn-of-worlds]

Here is all that which was done in the name of Laneth (who dwells in silence, who is silence) in this, the thirteenth turning of the wheel.

(Laneth enters turn 13 with 17 + 2 (lighthouse) + 6 (2d6) = 25 points.)

In the Deep, the Silence of A Held Breath

That ancient war of the Tiktik has not yet ceased to claim lives, and many misfit souls are cast off as the empire of the deep moults its too-tight carapace. The Avayidyid accept all who come to them and sincerely accept their ways, and though most do not -- for the Wayfinders are known also as Traitor Pilgrims, and few would leave their tribe behind to join them -- their numbers more than double in this period, moving subtly through uncharted places too dangerous for others.

It is not for nothing that the Aviyidyid are said to be close to the gods, and one sister among them, Bright-Eyed Sint, receives a vision of the doom that hovers over the Tiktik. Alight with inspiration, she musters disparate cells of Avidyidyid to prepare, vastly expanding their tunnels, boltholes, defenses and food stores in anticipation of the arrival of both friends and enemies.

On the Surface, a Hearth in the Cold

The human sailors of Palk discovered Laeran, but few lingered. They knew this place was holy, though, that they had been called there, and that great beings made it their home, and so in time, they returned, better supplied and bearing gifts. The scale of humans and titans is so different as to make their relations difficult, but they are both patient and diligent, and both had much to learn from one another -- particularly those titans of the far north, so neglected by the other peoples of the world. And so a small human settlement grew in the shadow of the Tower of Hope, dubbed Lookout, and the culture and religion of humans became entangled in this small way with that of the titans of Huttuqan, who obliged in building a road to connect the two. And the far-sailing humans of Palk brought the titans stories and prodigies of the world entire, and the titans dredged up treasures from the earth and showed by their nature what wonders the world could contain.

But it is the nature of humanity to feel that something is missing, that they are not at home in this world. They hope always to find completion, and though that hope led them to Laeran, they did not find it beneath the beacon, and they did not find it among the titans. And so, over generations, some of those who settle Lookout travel to the farthest north, to freeze or vanish, and some find the hidden depths of the Womb of Laeran, and find there much stranger fates.

Far Above, a Visitation

It is near a hundred years since the Moon-Watchers arrived in Azimuth, intrepid explorers of the farthest reaches seeking that last frontier, awaiting the eclipse that will bridge the earth and the moon. That eclipse will be the culmination of the achievements of the ancient sages of the Págar, now pilgrims on a journey to the unknown.

The eclipse has not yet come, and the Moon-Watchers watch still, awaiting that moment when the Págar first set foot in the secret places of the moon.

But they will not be the first.

What's all this, then?

Command Avatar (Command Race), 1pt: Through an encounter with Kuollut Kulma, Bright-Eyed Sint of the Aviyidyid receives a prophecy of doom for the Tiktik, and begins preparing the Aviyidyid, building out their capacity to move and support large populations and to defend their secret places. What's all the fuss about? Well, we'll see!

Command Race, 3pts: The sailors of Palk and the Order of the Last Hearth establish Lookout, a small human town in Laeran near the Tower of Hope, cementing their relations with the Titans of Huttuqan.

Event, 9pts: The Lost Theologians of the Págar find themselves in many places, and in so doing settle an ancient debate of the schools of Morne: some places are sooner reached by studying the world within than the world without.

Laneth enters turn 14 with 12 points.

[quirksphere]

Exploring the Depths: Why Scuba Diving in Koh Tao is an Unforgettable Experience

Koh Tao, a small island in Thailand’s Gulf, is a diver's paradise. Known for its crystal-clear waters, abundant marine life, and vibrant coral reefs, scuba diving in Koh Tao offers an experience unlike any other. Whether you are a beginner looking to get certified or an experienced diver seeking new underwater adventures, Koh Tao has something to offer everyone. Its tranquil setting, warm waters, and world-class dive schools make it an ideal spot for diving enthusiasts. In this article, we'll dive deep into why scuba diving in Koh Tao is an unforgettable experience, exploring its pristine dive sites, marine biodiversity, and the best time to visit.

Key Takeaways

Koh Tao boasts diverse and colorful marine life.

The island offers excellent diving conditions year-round.

Variety of dive sites cater to all levels of experience.

Ideal place for beginners to get certified with reputable dive schools.

Koh Tao is committed to marine conservation and responsible diving practices.

Why Choose Koh Tao for Scuba Diving

Pristine Marine Environment

Koh Tao’s waters are renowned for their clarity, making it one of the best places for diving in Thailand. The surrounding reefs are alive with colorful corals and fish, creating a stunning underwater landscape that divers can explore. The island’s commitment to environmental preservation ensures that these marine ecosystems remain healthy and vibrant, providing a fantastic setting for divers to immerse themselves in nature.

Rich Marine Biodiversity

One of the key attractions of scuba diving in Koh Tao is the rich variety of marine life. Divers can encounter everything from tiny nudibranchs and clownfish to larger species like barracudas, whale sharks, and green sea turtles. The island's waters are teeming with creatures that make every dive unique and exciting.

Ideal Diving Conditions

With water temperatures ranging between 27-30°C (80-86°F) year-round, diving in Koh Tao is always comfortable. Visibility can reach up to 30 meters (98 feet) on a good day, providing clear views of the vibrant underwater world. The calm currents make it easy for beginners to enjoy their dives, while more experienced divers can explore deeper and more challenging sites.

Top Dive Sites in Koh Tao

Chumphon Pinnacle

One of the most famous dive sites in Koh Tao, Chumphon Pinnacle is known for its deep waters and abundant marine life. Divers can spot schools of trevally, barracudas, and even the occasional whale shark. The site is ideal for experienced divers due to its depth, but the awe-inspiring scenery makes it a must-visit.

Sail Rock

A bit farther from Koh Tao but worth the trip, Sail Rock is another popular site. Known for its underwater chimney swim-through, divers can ascend and descend within this unique rock formation. Expect to see schools of batfish, giant groupers, and, if you're lucky, a manta ray gliding by.

Shark Island

Despite its name, Shark Island isn’t known for sharks but for its excellent biodiversity. It features sloping coral reefs that are home to triggerfish, angelfish, and moray eels. This site is suitable for divers of all levels, making it a great option for anyone wanting to explore Koh Tao’s underwater wonders.

Best Time to Dive in Koh Tao

Seasonal Considerations

Although scuba diving in Koh Tao is possible year-round, the best time to visit is between March and September when the seas are calm, and visibility is at its peak. During this period, divers can experience Koh Tao’s vibrant marine life in full swing.

Weather Patterns

The monsoon season typically hits from October to December, bringing rougher seas and decreased visibility. While it’s still possible to dive, conditions are less predictable. January and February mark a transition period with improving weather, setting the stage for excellent dives in the following months.

Diving Certifications and Training

Available Courses

Koh Tao is famous for being one of the most affordable places in the world to get PADI-certified. From beginner courses like the Open Water Diver to more advanced training such as Rescue Diver and Divemaster, scuba diving in Koh Tao offers plenty of opportunities for divers to expand their skills.

Choosing the Right Dive School

With so many dive schools to choose from, it’s essential to select one that matches your needs. Look for schools that are PADI-accredited, have experienced instructors, and a strong reputation for safety. Checking reviews and speaking with instructors beforehand can help you make an informed decision.

Accommodations and Amenities for Divers

Dive Resorts

Many resorts in Koh Tao are tailored to divers, offering packages that include accommodation, meals, and dives. These dive resorts provide convenience and comfort, making it easy to focus on your underwater adventures.

Local Facilities

Koh Tao offers a variety of dining options, dive shops, and equipment rental services that cater to divers. From beachfront cafés to lively bars, the island’s laid-back atmosphere adds to the overall diving experience.

Environmental Conservation Efforts

Marine Protected Areas

Koh Tao takes marine conservation seriously. Many of its dive sites are located in marine protected areas, where strict regulations help preserve the ecosystems. Divers are encouraged to respect these areas by practicing responsible diving techniques.

Responsible Diving Practices

Sustainable diving is key to protecting Koh Tao’s marine life. Divers are advised to avoid touching corals, feeding fish, or leaving any waste in the ocean. These simple steps go a long way in keeping Koh Tao’s waters pristine for future generations of divers.

Conclusion

Scuba diving in Koh Tao is truly an unforgettable experience, thanks to its vibrant marine life, crystal-clear waters, and diverse dive sites. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced diver, Koh Tao offers something special for everyone. From the thrill of encountering a whale shark to the peaceful beauty of exploring coral gardens, diving here will leave you with memories that last a lifetime. As you plan your next adventure, be sure to include Koh Tao on your list of must-dive destinations.

FAQs

1. What is the best time of year to go scuba diving in Koh Tao?

The best time to dive in Koh Tao is between March and September when the seas are calm, and visibility is excellent.

2. Do I need a certification to dive in Koh Tao?

Yes, you need a PADI certification or equivalent to dive independently. However, introductory dives are available for beginners.

3. What marine life can I expect to see while diving in Koh Tao?

You can expect to see a wide variety of marine life, including clownfish, turtles, barracudas, and sometimes whale sharks.

4. How safe is scuba diving in Koh Tao?

Scuba diving in Koh Tao is generally safe, especially with its calm waters and experienced instructors. Always choose a reputable dive school and follow their safety guidelines.

5. What should I pack for a diving trip to Koh Tao?

Bring light clothing, swimwear, reef-safe sunscreen, and any personal diving gear you prefer, although equipment can be rented on the island.

6. Are there facilities for equipment rental and storage?

Yes, most dive centers offer rental equipment, and some provide storage for personal gear.

7. Can I join a dive trip without prior experience?

Yes, there are introductory dives available for beginners that don’t require certification.

8. What are the accommodation options for divers on a budget?

There are plenty of budget-friendly accommodations, including hostels and guesthouses, that cater to divers.

[yashvitours]

Exploring Mauritius: Top Beaches and Coastal Activities

Mauritius is a tropical paradise located in the Indian Ocean that is famous for its clean sandy beaches, blue waters, and diverse sea creatures. Mauritius tour packages has a bunch of coastal experiences from which any tourist can choose from irrespective of whether they want to relax on soft sands or get an adrenaline rush swimming close to friendly dolphins.

1. Belle Mare Beach

Belle Mare Beach is one of the most well-known beaches of Mauritius that has long stretches of pure white sand juxtaposed with blue waters that are clear as crystal along its eastern coast. It is suitable for families or couples who are looking to bask under the sun or take slow walks along the shoreline. At the same time, if you are interested in snorkeling or jet skiing, there are some adventurous undertakings that you may undertake here. Meanwhile, others may opt for peace in the midst of such tranquil surroundings.

2. Flic-en-Flac Beach

Flic-en-Flac Beach, a place on the western coast is popular due to its incredible sunsets and relaxed atmosphere. This wide beach is good for swimming and snorkeling; it has calm waters full of life-giving marine life like coral reefs which thrive well there because they are very peaceful-bet you will like it. At this place, many people enjoy watching dolphins during tours which gives them a chance to see them in their homes as they move majestically through sea water.

3. Trou aux Biches

If you’re looking for a little hideaway, then don’t miss out on Trou aux Biches situated on the northern coast.Flanked by casuarina trees, this beach is one of a kind with shallow, clear waters great for snorkeling and bathing.Guests may take glass-bottomed boat rides or live on catamarans that leave from the place enabling them to visit adjacent coral reefs where they find a variety of fishes together with other sea creatures.

4. Blue Bay Marine Park

Blue Bay Marine Park is famous for its colorful, living underwater world. This Marine Park has been shielded from open sea currents making it ideal for people who like snorkeling activities since you will see various oceanic organisms such as parrot fish or trumpet fish when floating in such clear seas. From this point, a boat journey is accompanied by watching dolphins as they play with one another while riding on top of each other’s backs. It is positioned near Mahebourg on the south-east coast.

5. Le Morne Beach

Set on the southwest tip, Le Morne Beach is noted for its history and naturally attractive elements, offering excellent water sports facilities against a backdrop of dramatic scenery. Photographers and nature lovers will appreciate the amazing view created by the famous mountain Le Morne Brabant that towers over it. As well as this, boats can be taken for trips hence one gets the chance to watch dolphins swim alongside or sail past the coastline.

6. Dolphin Watching and Cruising

With splendid beaches beyond reach, marine excitation is another option in Mauritius, that is, watching oceanic dolphins, coasting. Along the shores are various guides who run boat trips for tourists out into the water to study the dolphins in their own environment. Alongside the boats, usually along the coastlines perform acrobatics with spinner dolphins thus giving any age tourists indelible impressions.

Conclusion

Experience the best of Mauritius with Yashvi tours and travels, your premier choice for tours and travels in Gandhinagar. Whether you're interested in our international holiday packages from Ahmedabad or domestic tour packages from Ahmedabad, we'll curate the perfect itinerary for you. From arranging air ticket booking in gandhinagar to accommodations and local activities, we ensure a seamless and unforgettable vacation. As dedicated travel experts, we strive to deliver exceptional service and create unforgettable memories for our clients exploring the stunning beaches and coastal wonders of Mauritius. Contact us today to begin planning your dream vacation.

Article Source : https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/exploring-mauritius-top-beaches-coastal-376tf/?trackingId=bitGlok7SJIHDNBCAdh9EQ%3D%3D

[gokitetour]

The top 8 best destination places to visit in Armenia

Armenia, a land of ancient history, stunning landscapes, and rich cultural heritage, beckons travelers with its diverse array of destination places waiting to be explored. Nestled in the South Caucasus region, Armenia offers a captivating blend of historic landmarks, natural wonders, and vibrant cities that promise unforgettable experiences for visitors.As one of the world's oldest inhabited regions, Armenia boasts a wealth of cultural and historical treasures dating back millennia. From ancient monasteries perched on rugged cliffs to picturesque lakes surrounded by towering mountains, Armenia's top destination places showcase the country's unique charm and allure. In this exploration of Armenia's best destination places, we'll uncover the timeless beauty of medieval monasteries like Geghard and Noravank, the breathtaking vistas of Lake Sevan, and the vibrant streets of Yerevan, the capital city known for its pink-hued buildings and bustling atmosphere. Whether you're drawn to the spiritual tranquility of ancient sanctuaries, the pristine beauty of natural landscapes, or the vibrant energy of urban centers, Armenia offers something for every traveller’s taste and preference. Join us as we embark on a journey through Armenia's most captivating destination places, where history, culture, and nature converge to create an unforgettable travel experience.

Here are some of the best destinations to visit in Armenia.

1. Yerevan: The City of Pink Begin your adventure in Yerevan, the capital city distinguished by its vividly coloured buildings and unique pink tone. Wander around the busy city center, where boutiques, galleries, and modern cafes coexist peacefully with old buildings. Don't pass up the opportunity to see the Cascade Complex, a colossal stairway with modern art works showcasing expansive views of the metropolitan skyline and Mount Ararat.

2. The Monastery of Geghard is a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Visit Geghard Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site tucked away in the scenic Azat River Gorge, to get a glimpse of Armenia's spiritual center. Geghard, which dates to the fourth century, is well known for its elaborate building carved out of rock and its priceless artifacts. Discover the historic halls and chapels of the monastery, be in awe of the intricately carved "cross-stones," and take in the serene atmosphere of this hallowed location.

3. Tatev Monastery and Tatev's Wings: Explore Tatev Monastery in southern Armenia, which is situated atop a craggy cliff with a view of the Vorotan River Gorge. This medieval wonder, which is reachable by the Wings of Tatev the longest reversible aerial tramway in the world offers breath-taking views and an aura of majestic majesty. Discover the monastery complex, take in the breathtaking architectural details, and take in the tranquil serenity of the surroundings.

4. Armenia's Jewel, Lake Sevan: Take a vacation to the immaculate beaches of Lake Sevan, Armenia's natural beauty and the largest freshwater lake in the Caucasus. Lake Sevan, which is flanked by craggy mountains and filled with charming islands, provides countless chances for leisure and exploration. Sail, paddle, or just soak up the sun on the sandy beaches that flank the lake's perimeter.

5.Dilijan: Armenia's "Little Switzerland" : Discover the verdant woods and mountainous surroundings of Dilijan, a popular vacation destination known as Armenia's "Little Switzerland." Tucked away in the Tavush Province, Dilijan is well known for its unspoiled surroundings, ancient buildings, and rich cultural legacy. Hike along picturesque trails in the Dilijan National Park, explore traditional craft workshops, and meander through the town's cobblestone alleyways.

6. Garni Temple: A Sanctuary for Pagans: One of Armenia's most recognizable sites, Garni Temple, is a pagan shrine that dates back to the first century AD. Take a trip back in time there. Garni Temple, perched on a mountaintop with a view of the Azat River Valley, is a monument to the architectural prowess and old pagan tradition of Armenia. Discover the beautifully preserved colonnades of the temple, take in the exquisite carvings, and be in awe of the surrounding natural splendor. 

7.A masterpiece of medieval architecture is the Noravank Monastery: Discover the Noravank Monastery, a masterwork of medieval Armenian architecture perched amidst towering red cliffs, by traveling to the untamed Vayots Dzor Province. Noravank, which dates to the 13th century, is well-known for its elaborate stone carvings, breathtaking reliefs, and deep theological meaning. Take in the expansive views of the surroundings, explore the monastery complex, and see the Surb Astvatsatsin Church.

 Conclusion

In conclusion, Armenia's best destination places offer travelers a captivating journey through the country's rich history, natural beauty, and cultural heritage. From the ancient monasteries of Geghard and Noravank to the breathtaking vistas of Lake Sevan and the vibrant streets of Yerevan, Armenia promises unforgettable experiences for visitors of all interests. For travelers looking to explore Armenia's top destination places, Armenia tour package provide convenient and comprehensive options. These packages offer curated itineraries, expert guides, and seamless logistics, allowing visitors to immerse themselves fully in Armenia's unique charm and allure. Whether embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage to historic sanctuaries, embarking on scenic hikes in the country's rugged terrain, or delving into the vibrant cultural scene of urban centers, Armenia invites travelers to uncover its treasures and create memories to last a lifetime. With its warm hospitality, breathtaking landscapes, and rich cultural heritage, Armenia is a destination that captivates the imagination and leaves a lasting impression on all who visit. Whether exploring ancient landmarks, sampling traditional cuisine, or connecting with local communities, Armenia promises an enriching and immersive travel experience that will leave travelers longing to return again and again.

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Both:

And we'll sail the world

And see its wonders

From the pearls of Spain

To the rubies of Tibet —

[theboatconcierge]

Navigating the Seas of Adventure: Unveiling the Wonders of Boat Charter Services

Introduction:

In a world where adventure beckons and the call of the open sea lingers, boat charter services emerge as the gateway to nautical exploration. Whether you're a seasoned sailor or a landlubber seeking a taste of maritime excitement, boat charters offer an accessible and exhilarating way to set sail. In this blog, we'll embark on a journey to unravel the charm and practicality of boat charter services, exploring the vast seas of possibilities that await.

The Allure of Boat Charter Services:

Picture this: azure waters stretching as far as the eye can see, a gentle breeze tousling your hair, and the rhythmic sound of waves beneath the hull. This idyllic scene comes to life when you opt for boat charter services. Unlike the complexities of owning a boat, chartering provides a hassle-free experience, allowing you to revel in the joy of sailing without the burdens of maintenance and ownership.

Variety in Vessels:

One of the compelling aspects of boat charter services is the diversity of vessels at your disposal. From sleek sailboats to luxurious yachts and sturdy catamarans, the options are as varied as the destinations you can explore. Whether you crave the thrill of wind-powered navigation or the comfort of a motorized cruiser, charter services cater to a spectrum of preferences.

Accessibility for All:

Contrary to the misconception that boat charters are exclusive to seasoned sailors or the affluent, these services are remarkably accessible. Charter companies often provide skilled captains for those unfamiliar with the helm, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. This inclusivity opens the door to families, friends, and solo adventurers alike, fostering a sense of unity among sea enthusiasts.

Destinations Beyond the Horizon:

The beauty of boat charter services lies in the freedom to choose your destination. From quaint coastal villages to bustling harbors and secluded coves, the seas become your playground. Imagine exploring hidden gems unreachable by land or witnessing breathtaking sunsets from the vantage point of your chartered vessel – boat charters unlock a world of possibilities that extend far beyond the shoreline.

Eco-Friendly Exploration:

As environmental awareness takes center stage, many boat charter services are adopting eco-friendly practices. From energy-efficient engines to waste reduction initiatives, these services strive to minimize their ecological footprint. By choosing a responsible charter provider, you not only indulge in maritime escapades but also contribute to the preservation of our oceans for generations to come.

Planning Your Seafaring Adventure:

Now that the allure of boat charter services has captured your imagination, let's delve into the practicalities of planning your seafaring adventure. Begin by researching reputable charter companies, reading customer reviews, and ensuring that safety measures are a top priority. Consider the size of the vessel, amenities offered, and the expertise of the crew to tailor your experience to your preferences.

Navigating Budget Waters:

Contrary to the assumption that boat charters break the bank, there are options for every budget. By opting for off-peak seasons, sharing costs with a group, or choosing a smaller vessel, you can navigate the budgetary waters without compromising the quality of your maritime adventure. It's all about striking the right balance between affordability and the experience you desire.

Embracing the Unpredictability:

As with any adventure, the sea has its own rhythm, and weather conditions can be unpredictable. Flexibility is key when chartering a boat, as it allows you to adapt your itinerary to the whims of the ocean. Embrace the spontaneity, and you may find hidden treasures in the detours, creating memories that linger long after the journey ends.

In Conclusion:

Boat charter services beckon with the promise of a sea-bound odyssey, offering a passport to explore the wonders that the open water holds. Whether you're seeking relaxation, adrenaline, or a bit of both, the diverse world of chartering has something for everyone. So, cast off the lines, set sail into the horizon, and let the maritime adventure of a lifetime begin! Contact us now!

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Sailing Serenity: A Tranquil Odyssey through the Enchanting Waters of Sydney Harbour

Welcome to our blog, where we invite you to set sail on a poetic journey through the stunning waters of Sydney Harbour. In this post, we'll explore the serene beauty, rich history, and unparalleled tranquility that make sailing through Sydney Harbour an experience of a lifetime.

The Elegance of Sydney's Maritime Jewel:

Sydney Harbour, with its world-renowned landmarks, is a testament to nature's grandeur and human ingenuity. The Sydney Opera House stands proudly with its iconic sails, while the Sydney Harbour Bridge creates an awe-inspiring silhouette against the sky. Together, they form the backdrop for a sailing experience that blends architectural marvels with the tranquility of open waters.

Nature's Symphony:

As your vessel glides through the harbor's pristine waters, immerse yourself in the natural symphony that surrounds you. The gentle lapping of waves, the calls of seagulls, and the rustle of wind through the sails create a harmonious melody that resonates with the heart of Sydney.

A Kaleidoscope of Views:

Every moment on Sydney Harbour unveils a new tableau of beauty. From the verdant shores and sandy coves to the vibrant hues of the sunset reflecting off the water, each scene is a masterpiece painted by nature herself.

Discover Hidden Gems:

Explore the harbor's secret treasures, from secluded beaches to picturesque islands. Uncover the stories behind landmarks like Fort Denison and Clark Island, and let the charm of these hidden gems captivate your senses.

A Nighttime Enchantment:

As the sun dips below the horizon, the magic of Sydney Harbour comes alive under the twinkling stars. A nighttime cruise offers a unique perspective, with the city lights casting a mesmerizing glow over the water, creating an atmosphere of enchantment and romance.

Experiencing Events on the Waves:

Sydney Harbour is not just a scenic backdrop; it's a stage for some of the world's most iconic events. Be it the explosive New Year's Eve fireworks or the lively festivals that grace its shores, sailing through the harbor provides a front-row seat to the spectacle.

Why Choose Us for Your Sydney Harbour Sail:

Expert Narration: Our knowledgeable guides provide insights into the history, culture, and natural wonders that grace the harbor.

Luxury Afloat: Experience the journey in comfort aboard our luxurious vessels, designed to provide unobstructed views and a smooth sailing experience.

Safety First: Your safety is paramount. Our experienced crew ensures a secure and enjoyable voyage through the tranquil waters.

Embark on Your Sydney Harbour Odyssey:

Ready to embark on a journey of serenity and discovery? Join us for a sailing experience that transcends the ordinary, where each wave carries a story and each breeze whispers tranquility.

Sail with us and immerse yourself in the poetic serenity of Sydney Harbour. We look forward to hosting you on a voyage that promises not just scenic beauty, but a symphony of tranquility on the waves of Sydney's maritime jewel. Click here to see related article about Sailing Serenity: A Journey through the Stunning Waters of Sydney Harbour.